Second female radio host says Rolf Harris acted inappropriately

Reporter, WA Today

Veteran radio host Verity James says she too was groped by Rolf Harris.

Rolf Harris was labelled “The Octopus” by a well-known Perth radio host, following an incident in which she says she and another female ABC colleague were “felt up” by the entertainer following an interview with him.

Verity James, who is now a freelance broadcaster and writer, said she “laughed off” the incident when it happened sometime in the late 1990s or early 2000s.

She is the second Perth radio host to speak about similar claims involving Mr Harris in the past 24 hours.

Jane Marwick told Radio 6PR that Mr Harris grabbed her breast while posing for a photo after an interview in 2001.

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Ms James said she had just finished doing a pre-recorded interview in a studio when Mr Harris leaned in for a hug while pushing her up against a wall.

“He kind of pushes you up against a wall in a big hug, grabbing at the buttocks and rubbing on your breasts,” Ms James said.

She said Mr Harris then went in to “hug” her colleague and says she has a “distinct memory” of her colleague “peeling his hands off her breasts”.

Ms James said she and others in the media industry in Perth at the time referred to him as “The Octopus” following the incident.

She said she had no doubt they were not the only two women to have been subject to such treatment by Mr Harris but said hearing about the legal action against Mr Harris was a “game changer”.

He is on trial in the United Kingdom, accused of indecently assaulting four girls.

Ms James said that unfortunately such behaviour happened in other situations with other men at different times throughout her career.

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